SHOWCASE: Apart from the two performing F-16C jets, the RSAF also sent another F-16C fighter aircraft, two Super Puma helicopters and two PC-21 trainer aircraft for static display. (photo : AFP, Bloomberg, Xinhua)

RSAF Black Knights flying high Down UnderTwo F-16C jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) wowed spectators on Tuesday as part of the 12th Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition.It was the first time in the biennial air show's 23-year history that a foreign military formation performed, reported aviation magazine Australian Aviation.The show was held at Avalon Airport in Victoria.

Painted in striking red and white, the two jets from RSAF's Black Knights aerobatic display team flew the Singapore flag proudly with a crescent moon and five stars emblazoned on their fuselages.The jets dazzled the crowd with their aerial prowess, performing difficult manoeuvres such as the Mirror Pass, where the two planes fly parallel to each other, and Barrel Rolling, where one jet flies straight while another flies around its tailsmoke, creating a corkscrew effect.On Saturday, the F-16C fighter aircraft also took part in a flypast during the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The flypast was held in remembrance of the Australians who fought and died in Singapore during World War II.In total, the RSAF sent three F-16C fighter aircraft, two Super Puma helicopters and two PC-21 trainer aircraft to the air show.

Some 600 companies from more than two dozen countries are showcasing their wares at the show.About 100 government, military and scientific delegations are also attending, on top of 27 major conferences staged in conjunction with the event, reported US newspaper Defence News.(AsiaOne)

MMEA's Kapal Maritim Perwira, a gift from the Australian government, docked in Port Klang (photo : The Star)PORT KLANG (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) today officially received its first Bay Class patrol vessel from the Australian government that will be deployed to enhance maritime security mainly in the Straits of Melaka.MMEA director-general Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said the vessel, a gift from Australia, would assist MMEA in tackling people smuggling activities, including those seeking to reach Australia by boat."The vessel is also an affirmation of the strong ties and close cooperation between the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and MMEA," he told a press conference after the handing over and official naming ceremony of the vessel officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim here.In attendance were Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton and ACBPS chief executive officer Roman Quaedvlieg.Officially named 'Kapal Maritim Perwira', the vessel measuring 34.95 metres in length is equipped with, among others, closed-circuit television unit and facilities to accommodate suspected illegals.Mohd Amdan said the vessel, to be stationed in Lumut, Perak, would undertake operations to eradicate transnational crime like human smuggling activities through MMEA's 'Ops Redback 3' operation in the northern region of Kuala Selangor up to Langkawi, Kedah."MMEA is expected to receive its second Bay Class patrol vessel from Australia in May this year which will be stationed at Johor Baharu," he added.Meanwhile, Quaedvlieg told the same press conference that the vessel was viewed as a strategy to combat people smuggling and transnational crime on the high seas.He noted that the Australian government had gifted Sri Lanka with two Bay Class patrol vessels to undertake similar operations.(Bernama)

RAAF E-7A Wedgetail (AEWC) (photo : Jaryd Stock)VICTORIA, Australia — A senior Royal Australian Air Force commander has provided details of an interim upgrade carried out on the RAAF's Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft before their deployment to the Middle East last September.Australia still has a Wedgetail operating from the United Arab Emirates under Operation Okra as part of an Australian Air Task Group (ATG) that also includes a single Airbus KC-30A multirole tanker transport and six Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets. Prior to the initial deployment the E-7A was fitted with an IP chat capability, providing text rather than voice connectivity with the Combined Air Operations Centre in theater, Wing Commander Paul Carpenter said at the 2015 Australian International Air Show at the Avalon Airport here."The introduction of the IP chat capability into the aircraft was a real success story for us," said Carpenter, who was the commanding officer of the Wedgetail squadron and the detachment commander of the first rotation of Wedgetail personnel who returned to Australia in January. "That project looked like being many years in the future, but when we got notice of our Operation Okra deployment, our engineering department team got together with the wing, AEW&C System Project Office and Boeing Defence Australia and came up with a solution in a matter of weeks."Carpenter, now the executive officer of No.42 Wing of the RAAF's Surveillance and Response Group, said the system went live on the evening before the first mission, in which the Wedgetail became the first Australian military aircraft to operate over Iraq during the current campaign."It uses an iridium satellite telephone system and it was developed incrementally, getting communications set up and then providing basic data, getting in to the right networks and tapping into the American system, because the Americans use IP chat extensively," Carpenter said.Kim Gillis, Boeing Defence Australia's managing director, told reporters that Boeing is offering the E-7A to a number of countries."There are a number of other customers looking at it and we are competing in a range of campaigns, but they are not public yet," he said.(DefenseNews)

UH-1 Huey of the PAF (photo : Timo Maceren)MANILA (PNA) To ensure the availability of its UH-1 "Huey" helicopter fleet for combat and humanitarian disaster response missions, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is allocating the sum of Php20,239,984.58 for the acquisition of electrical, instrument and fuel system requirements for the aircraft.The Air Force is known to operate 20 to 40 models of the UH-1Hs. Another 21 are undergoing assembly and testing at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga. The "Huey" is the primary combat utility helicopter of the PAF and is used for fire support, re-supply, evacuation, transport and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. Submission and bid opening is on March 11, 9 a.m. at the PAF Procurement Center Conference Room, Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.(PNA)

27 Februari 2015

Thales One Sky program (photo : Thales)Thales has been chosen to commence work with Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence on the development of Australia’s OneSKY program, integrating civil and military air traffic control into a single and harmonised ATM system.Thales has entered into an Advanced Work contract arrangement which is the critical initial step for the delivery of the OneSKY program. This will help enable the delivery of a state of the art system that will bring further improvements to the already safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers in Australia every year.The system will achieve world’s best practice, incorporating advanced technologies to manage predicted future increases in air traffic volumes. For the first time in global history, one company will provide a truly integrated large-scale single system for civil and defence purposes.Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins said: "This is an essential first step for the delivery of an important piece of national infrastructure that will ensure the continued safe and efficient management of our skies."Thales has worked closely with Airservices over many years in delivering the current system, but as that reaches the end of its operational lifecycle we will use our experience to implement new technologies that will make life easier for air traffic controllers and airline operators."We are also excited to be working with Defence towards delivering a truly efficient integrated air traffic management system for all Australian airspace users – everyone from fighter pilots to the weekly commuter."Additionally, to secure this Advanced Work contract we worked very closely with our partners Frequentis and Boeing Defence Australia, whose extensive military aviation expertise enabled a comprehensive offering ideally suited to local conditions."Thales is dedicated to its long-term investment in Australia – building skills and innovating across a wide range of advanced systems for transport, security and defence."Thales’s highly skilled personnel and world-leading research facilities at its Melbourne centre of air traffic management excellence are backed by the resources of the global Thales group, which recently secured a large scale military air traffic control contract in the UK.Thales Australia has also delivered the world’s most advanced air traffic control system to Singapore, which became fully operational in 2013.The Thales TopSky-ATC system is in service in over 130 of the busiest air traffic control centres in the world, making it the most successful air traffic management system for congested airspaces.Featuring significant levels of automation and sophistication, the technology and operational concepts of the TopSky-ATC system enable quicker landings while enabling outbound traffic to continue on safely without delay, reducing both flight time and emissions.(Thales)

A model of the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in an ADF-life camouflage colour scheme being displayed at the Avalon Airshow 2015. (photo : Jane's)Bell Helicopter is pitching its AH-1Z Viper helicopter to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to be utilised as a maritime attack platform aboard its two landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships, a company representative told IHS Jane's at the Avalon Airshow yesterday (24 February).Bob Carrese, regional vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said while there is no formal Australian requirement, Bell Helicopter is briefing the ADF on the Viper's capabilities ahead of an expected decision on whether to upgrade its Airbus Helicopters Tigers to a maritime configuration."The AH-1Z is already doing all of the missions that the ADF is doing [with the Tiger], and more. It can carry 16 Hellfire [air-to-surface missiles] plus two Sidewinder [air-to-air missiles], and has the cost-per-flight-hour figures that the ADF has been looking for," he said.While the Australian Army does currently field 22 Tiger helicopters, a decision is expected to be made under Phase 3 of the Project AIR 87 Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) procurement programme on whether to upgrade these helicopters to be able to operate from the decks of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two Canberra-class LHDs (HMAS Canberra was recently commissioned, while the future HMAS Adelaide is currently under construction in Spain).

Bell AH-1Z Viper (photo : US Navy)According to Carrese, the case for opting against upgrading the Tiger and instead procuring the AH-1Z is centred around the latter having been designed from the outset to be operated in a maritime environment."It's not just about flying a helicopter from a ship," he said. "The AH-1Z has been built to be resistant to corrosion; its engines are the same as those fitted to the [Lockheed Martin] MH-60R maritime helicopter [as already selected by the RAN]; it has folding [main rotor] blades; there are heavy-duty tie-down points; and its systems are shielded so as to be 'ship-safe'." By ship-safe, Carrese meant that the ship's onboard electronics will not interfere with the helicopter's hardware and software in the same way as they would an unshielded, land-based helicopter.As well as being physically better-suited to the maritime domain, the AH-1Z has, said Carrese, the benefit of being in operational service with the US Marine Corps (USMC). With the USMC now regularly rotating through Darwin, the ADF is going to be operating alongside the AH-1Z more and more, and so there are obvious advantages of interoperability and support to be had should Australia choose to also procure the helicopter.As the discussions with the ADF is still in a very informal stage, Carrese was unable to say when he thought a decision on a possible AH-1Z procurement might be made, or timelines as to an entry into service.Separate to a hoped-for Australian procurement, Carrese told IHS Jane's that the company has so far received "three or four" letters of intent from potential international customers for the AH-1Z (and the same number for its UH-1Y Venom stablemate), though he declined to provide further details.(Jane's)

PAF UH-1 Huey during testing (photo : Tim Maceren)Philippine Air Force allotted PhP20.2 Million for the purchase of electrical, instrument and fuel system requirements of UH-1 “Huey” helicopter fleet. PAF currently has 20 to 30 commissioned Huey helicopters. While the twenty-one refurbished units acquired by Department of National Defense are now being assembled and tested at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga.It can be remembered that 14 out of twenty-one ordered refurbished Bell UH-1 Iroquois or Huey helicopters were delivered as of October last year (4 on July, 10 on October). US based Rice Aircraft Services and Canadian Eagle Copters was contracted by Philippine government to provide 21 units through negotiated procurement after several unsuccessful bidding. The contract price was PhP1.25 billion.Huey helicopters act as Philippine Air Force’s combat utility helicopters. Roles these helicopters can assume include cargo transport, MEDEVAC, resupply mission and troop transport.(AngMalaya)

Spain submitted a tender to supply Typhoon to the Indonesian (photo : JMR)Spain stressed on Wednesday that the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter is the best choice for Indonesia to modernize its air force when it comes to technical capabilities and the transfer-of-technologies offer.Spanish Ambassador to Indonesia Francisco José Viqueira Niel said that the Typhoon might be more expensive than its competitors, but it offers a better operational cost over the jet fighter’s life cycle of some 30 years.“The competition is for the replacement of the F-5. There are many serious competitors,” Niel told journalists on Wednesday.“The main thing is that our product is better. The Typhoon is built with engines to last the entire life cycle.”Niel said that although the Typhoon was slightly more expensive, in the end it was much cheaper because there was no need to replace the engine.The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) made it public that it wanted to replace its ageing F-5 E/F Tiger IIs with Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35s, the latest model of the Flanker family. Currently, TNI AU operates a mixed fleet of single-seater Su-27s and double-seater Su-30s in the 11th squadron based at the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in Makassar, South Sulawesi.Engines for the Flankers, however, have a very short lifetime when compared to Western-built jet fighters.Another strong contender is the single-engine Swedish-built SAAB Gripen, while both the Flanker and Typhoon are twin-engine jet fighters.Niel said Gripen was a good fighter, but not the best for Indonesia considering the vast airspace and maritime space to be covered.“With the Typhoon’s range of operations, you can cover the entire Indonesian air space, including the 200-kilometer exclusive economic zone, with the two existing air bases,” he emphasized.Another interesting reason to pick the Typhoon, Niel said, is the transfer-of-technology package.“We have the know-how. The Eurofighter package is quite interesting as almost all of it can be used in IFX,” he said, referring to the KFX/IFX jet fighter development being pursued by South Korea and Indonesia.Even if Indonesia decided not to buy the Typhoon, Niel said the avionics and electronics can be acquired to be used in the indigenous jet fighter program.The Swedes and Russians are also offering various types of transfer-of-technology packages to sweeten their deals.Spain’s long relations with Indonesia in the aerospace sector has given it the appointment as the representative of the four-country Eurofighter consortium, which also includes Germany, Italy and United Kingdom.Niel said the cooperation started between PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nurtanio (IPTN) and Construcciones Aeronauticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in the 1970s to build the C-212 Aviocar light transport aircraft. The aircraft is licence-built and was given the designation NC-212 in Indonesia. Now the production of this type is located solely in Bandung as the Spaniards are focusing on bigger aircraft types.PT IPTN is now known as PT Dirgantara Indonesia, while CASA is now part of Airbus Defense and Space.On another note, Niel said there were plenty of other opportunities other than the defense sector to be explored.He said the bilateral trade between the two countries stood at ¤2 billion (US$2.27 billion) in 2014, which could have been higher considering the potential both countries have.“We can cooperate more in the infrastructure and of the world’s top 10 construction firms were from Spain.“Two Spanish companies, Tecnica Reunidas and Centunion, built the Dumai refinery in the 1980s at about the same time with the cooperation between IPTN and CASA.”Niel said that more investment in the infrastructure sector, especially ports, railways and highways, would help Indonesia grow even faster, up to 10 percent.(The Jakarta Post)

RAN Landing Craft Heavy (photo : Aus DoD)MANILA (PNA) -- The Department of National Defense (DND) will acquire three of Australia's "Balikapapan" class LCHs (landing craft heavy) at "salvage prices" which is 10 to 15 percent of the value.DND public affairs office chief Arsenio Andolong said that the LCHs are the HMAS Wewak, HMAS Betano and HMAS Balikpapan.Salvage value of the ships could range from Php700-million to Php800-million, sources said.The decision to acquire three remaining units of the "Balikpapan" LCHs was due to the decision of the Australian government to donate two of the vessels to the Philippine Navy.The two LCHs will be delivered and commissioned by May 2015.These ships are recently decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy and are identified as the HMAS Tarakan and HMAS Brunei, Australian Minister for Defense Kevin Andrew said.He added two ships will be delivered to the PN after being refurbished with new safety and navigation equipment.“I expect the vessels will be refitted and ready for hand over in May 2015,” Andrews said.Once in service at the PN, these ships will provide additional intra-theater sealift capability.A lack of sealift capability hampered efforts to assist Philippines’ coastal areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013.“The landing craft will greatly improve the Philippines’ ability to respond to natural disasters by enabling heavy equipment and large amounts of aid to be moved to affected areas,” Andrews said.The two LCHs were decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns last Nov. 19, 2014.LCHs are an extremely versatile vessel, capable of moving large amounts of cargo, personnel and equipment from larger ships to shore.A very shallow draft (two meters) allows these ships to deliver personnel and equipment to areas otherwise unreachable especially during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HADR).It is an all-welded twin-screw vessel, able to trans-ship cargo and supplies from ships lying offshore to water terminals or across the beach.Maximum cargo load is governed by the load-fuel balance and varies between 140 and 180 tons.A typical load of 175 ton gives the LCHs a range of 1,300 nautical miles, increasing to 2,280 nautical miles for a load of 150 tons.Up to five shipping containers with HADR supplies and equipment can also be embarked.LCHs have a draft of two meters, length of 44.5 meters, beam of 10.1 meters and displacement of 364 tons.It has a speed to 10 to 13 knots and a range of 3,000 nautical miles and a crew of 15. (PNA)

MILDS forward sensor heads, seen here in the NH90 configuration.(photo : Airbus Defence and Space)Airbus Defence and Space has joined forces with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) of the Australian Ministry of Defence to improve the protection of wide-body aircraft and helicopters. In a joint development program they upgraded Airbus Defence and Space’s proven MILDS AN/AAR-60 Block II Missile Approach Warning system with a HFI (Hostile Fire Indication) capability which allows for reliable warning of the growing threat of small arms fire. As the HFI function is a pure software application within the existing AAR-60, no additional equipment is required to proctect the aircraft. DSTO and Airbus DS have successfully tested the HFI algorithms in field trials with very good results.MILDS is a passive imaging sensor, detecting the UV radiation signature of approaching missiles. The extremely high resolution combined with rapid processing enables very reliable threat identification and virtually eliminates false alarms. Four to five sensors provide optimum coverage and rapid reaction. As MILDS operates in the UV spectrum, it is not subject to the limitations of other warning technologies such as infrared. Therefore, MILDS Block II offers superior ability to detect small arms fire which is obviously dangerous in low-level flight close to the ground.With more than 8,000 sensors sold, MILDS is the standard missile approach warner outside the U.S. It is in service aboard a huge variety of rotary wing and wide-body aircraft, including Tiger, NH90, CH-53, CH-47 and MI-17 helicopters and C-130 transport aircraft. A specific fighter version – MILDS F – is in service with the Royal Danish Airforce and Royal Norwegian Airforce F-16 fighters.(Airbus DS)

26 Februari 2015

JSM missile (image : Kongsberg)Norway intends to procure up to 52 F-35A aircraft to enhance the ability of its Armed Forces to meet future security challenges, and will field the Joint Strike Missile early in the next decade. Australia has committed to procuring 72 F-35A aircraft, out of a planned 100, aimed at developing the next generation of Australian air combat power, (photo : Kongsberg)The Australian Government Department of Defence and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence today announced they will cooperate on further development of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) developed by KONGSBERG.Australian Minister for Defence, Mr Kevin Andrews, in a statement from the Australian Ministry of Defence said Australian cooperation on the Norwegian Joint Strike Missile, under development by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, would ensure the weapon capability would be available for Air Force’s future fleet of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters.“This agreement builds on the countries’ long-standing bilateral cooperation on research and development of Defence equipment, and acknowledges the importance of a robust maritime strike capability to Norway and Australia.”“Participating now in a cooperative JSM development program with Norway will maximise the cost effectiveness of Australia’s contribution, and ensure the weapon capability is developed and integrated onto the F-35A in the timeline required by Australia, should the Joint Strike Missile be ultimately considered for acquisition by Government later this decade.”“Australian industry will participate in the development of the JSM by providing specialist expertise in missile guidance and control technology,” he said in the statement.The Norwegian Minister of Defence, Ms. Ine Eriksen Søreide, in a statement from the Norwegian Ministry of Defence highlighted the increased capabilities the cooperation will provide.“Although far apart geographically, Norway and Australia share many of the same challenges. We are both maritime nations on the periphery of our immediate regions, with a large land mass and even larger maritime territories, yet relatively limited populations. This means that we have to maximize the effects of the capabilities that we invest in to ensure that they cover as much of the spectrum of operations as possible”, said Norwegian Minister of Defence, Ms. Ine Eriksen Søreidein the statement."An important cooperation"The cooperation entails a close cooperation between KONGSBERG and several Australian defence industry partners, including BAE Systems Australia and Qinetiq Australia, to develop new, innovative technology. The new technology ensures even more advanced capacities added to the JSM, including a second independent sensor within the missile to identify hostile radar targets. The new capacities will be highly relevant for both Australia and the other partner nations of the F-35-programme. "We’re very pleased to cooperate with Australia on the JSM-program. JSM is highly sophisticated, it has unique and innovative capabilities and it is the only fifth-generation cruise missile that will be integrated on the F-35. This cooperation confirms how well JSM is positioned to meet the operational needs from partner nations", says Walter Qvam, President and CEO of KONGSBERG.JSM is a new missile that will enable the F-35 to fight well-defended targets across long distances, and no other weapon existing today, or under development, can perform the same types of missions. The JSM is the only long-range sea and land-target missile that can be carried internally in the F-35 and thus ensuring the aircrafts low-signature (stealth) capabilities.JSM development was initiated in 2008 and will be a continuous activity up until the completion of a complete product in 2017. The missile is currently in phase lll of its development which will include aircraft tests, production of test missiles and integration on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.(Kongsberg)

Boeing JDAM-ER (image : Boeing)Brisbane, Australia – The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) demonstrated significant range increase while maintaining its expected accuracy during flight testing conducted by Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).The testing centered on a new wing kit that, when used in conjunction with the weapon’s guidance kit, increases the bomb’s range from approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) to more than 45 miles (72 kilometers), as shown during tests above the Woomera Test Range in Australia.“The JDAM ER wing kit takes advantage of the conventional JDAM aircraft interface and Small Diameter Bomb glide technology,” said Beth Kluba, vice president, Boeing Weapons and Missile Systems. “This keeps integration, development and sustainment costs low while bringing customers the range increase needed to neutralize current and future threats.”The 500-pound (227-kilogram) winged JDAM, jointly developed by Boeing and Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation, was dropped from RAAF F/A-18 Classic Hornets from altitudes ranging from 40,000 feet (12,190 meters) down to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The weapon deployed its wing kit successfully during each test and flew to a pre-determined aim point, impacting within meters of its target.”The extended range wing kit will allow the Australian Defence Force to employ JDAM more flexibly and safely in the target area,” said Rear Adm. Tony Dalton, responsible for the acquisition of Guided Weapons in Australia. “Additionally, the program also stands to significantly benefit local Australian industry.”Boeing will produce and integrate JDAM ER wing kits for the RAAF under a contract awarded in 2011. Following additional flight and certification testing, production and initial deliveries of JDAM ER to the RAAF are planned for 2015.Ferra Engineering supplies major sub-assemblies for the JDAM ER modular wing kit to Boeing from its facility in Brisbane, Australia.JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided bombs into near- precision weapons. Including the JDAM ER wing kit, Boeing designed JDAM technology to accept a variety of upgrades such as a laser sensor, improved immunity to GPS jamming, and an all-weather radar sensor. Boeing has built more than 260,000 JDAM tail kits in its St. Charles, Mo., facility since production started in 1998. JDAM is used by 27 international militaries.(Boeing)

The SHINCOM 3100 all-digital Secure Voice System (SVS) integrates tactical and adminstrative, as well as voice and data communications. SHINCOM interfaces with controls and manages every aspect of internal and external communications. (photo : DRS)ARLINGTON, VA ̶ DRS Technologies Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, announced today that its Canadian subsidiary will be providing tactical integrated communications systems to the New Zealand Ministry of Defense for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s ANZAC-class frigates.This subcontract was awarded to DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. in support of a communications modernization contract from Lockheed Martin Canada in September 2014. DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. is the primary subcontractor to Lockheed Martin Canada.The subcontract includes the provision of all internal tactical and secure voice switching systems and terminals. DRS will provide its Shipboard Integrated Communications System (SHINCOM 3100) central switching unit, helicopter audio distribution system, public address server, recorder storage units, console dual screen terminals, outdoor terminals, jackboxes and ancillaries, as well as the Avaya G450 PABX phone system.“This is a tremendous opportunity for DRS to deliver the SHINCOM 3100 system to the Royal New Zealand Navy, which leverages the existing installed base with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the United States Navy”, says Steve Zuber, vice president and general manager, DRS Technologies Canada Ltd. “This program will allow these Navies to share key interoperability, technology and applications, ensuring that SHINCOM 3100 remains the premier internal communications system for years to come.”SHINCOM 3100 is the latest generation in shipboard communications switch technology which provides reliable, red/black secure tactical communications for Navy operators. DRS Technologies will produce and deliver two shipsets, the first of which is expected to be delivered in early 2016.(DRS Technilogy)

Lockheed Martin MFTA (photo : Lockheed Martin)CANBERRA, Australia – The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has awarded Lockheed Martin Australia a contract to supply a modern C-130J-30 Virtual Maintenance Trainer and a Multi-Function Training Aid (MFTA) to support maintenance and aircrew training at RAAF Base Richmond.Through this major upgrade, the RAAF will have a standardised curriculum tailored for its operations and based on decades of C-130 training innovation by Lockheed Martin.“Delivering these training technologies to the RAAF represents Lockheed Martin’s continued commitment to supporting the RAAF air mobility mission,” said Raydon Gates, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Australia & New Zealand. “These capabilities, supported by a network of training services and products across Lockheed Martin’s aircrew training programs, enable the most effective training for the next generation of pilots and maintainers.” Under the maintenance training contract, Lockheed Martin Australia together with Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Orlando, Florida, will update two classrooms, providing a modern electronic learning environment. The new classrooms will feature high resolution desktop maintenance trainers paired with computer-based training courseware for a realistic, integrated simulation offering. Further support will add two developer stations to enable RAAF C-130J-30 training staff to modify and update the training courseware through the aircraft lifecycle.In addition, the delivery of Lockheed Martin’s MFTA will provide innovative, aircraft-based simulation to aid the instructors and students. Powered by Prepar3D® simulation software, the MFTA reduces demand on operational aircraft while providing a highly realistic simulation environment for more affordable training.Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 1,000 people in Australia and New Zealand working on a wide range of major programmes spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.(Lockheed Martin)

25 Februari 2015

MG-520 "Defender" light attack helicopter (photo : Timawa)MANILA (PNA) - To keep its McDonnell Douglas MG-520 "Defender" attack helicopter fleet flying, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has allocated Php 16,226,432.11 to acquire essential spare parts for the aircraft.This is in line with PAF efforts to increase the number of mission and combat ready aircraft in its inventory while awaiting for the delivery of more modern jet fighters and attack helicopters.Pre-bid conference is slated for Feb. 26 while bid opening and submission is on March 11.Both are slated for 9 a.m. at the PAF Procurement Center Conference Room, Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.The PAF is known to operate between 12 to 16 models of the MG-520, according to military sources.The PAF affair with the MG-520 started in the early 90's when 25 units of these excellent aircraft were delivered to country.It was used with great effect against New People's Army (NPA) rebels and lawless elements like the Abu Sayyaf Group for the past few years.The MG-520 is derived from the MG-500 light utility helicopter.It can be armed with .50 caliber heavy machines and air-to-ground rockets.The aircraft carries a crew of two and is capable of flying to speeds up to 160 miles per hour (257 kilometers per hour), making it ideal for close air support work.(PNA)